DVLA unveils tougher medical rules for driving licences as new fitness requirements impact motorists

The new guidance introduces fresh classifications for brain tumours, revised requirements for cardiovascular conditions, and updated standards for neurological and mental health issues.

It also provides clarity on transcranial magnetic stimulation, a treatment increasingly used to treat anxiety and depression. Officials explained that the changes reflect advances in medical understanding and are designed to keep UK roads as safe as possible.

One of the most significant updates relates to brain tumours, with motorists now assessed under four distinct categories, ranging from very low to high risk. The new structure sets out clear rules on when drivers can return to the road following diagnosis or treatment.

Very low-risk tumours allow standard licence holders to drive again after six months, while low-risk cases require between six months and one year off the road. High-risk tumours demand a minimum two-year ban for car and motorcycle drivers.

The most serious category includes metastatic brain disease, glioblastomas and primary central nervous system lymphomas. For professional drivers, these conditions mean permanent driving bans.

The DVLA has also confirmed that commercial drivers of buses and lorries face stricter rules across all tumour categories.

This reflects the greater safety risks posed by the size of Heavy Goods Vehicles and buses, combined with the long hours often required in the industry.

For example, conditions considered manageable for a car driver may result in lengthy bans or permanent restrictions for a bus or lorry driver.

Cardiovascular standards have also been significantly tightened. For motorists with aortic aneurysms, private licence holders must now stop driving once the diameter reaches 6.5 centimetres.

For professional drivers, the threshold is lower at 5.5 centimetres. Patients with Marfan syndrome are banned from driving once the aorta measures five centimetres, or 4.5 centimetres if other risk factors are present. Recovery periods following heart valve surgery have also been updated.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Motorists at risk of £1,000 fine for common driving practice that breaks Highway Code rules
• Major car brand unveils huge change to UK HQ days after confirming future plans for petrol engines
• Motorists to see major A-roads operate at 20mph until 2027 under punishing new rules launching next week

Car drivers can usually return to the road within two to four weeks, depending on the procedure, while bus and lorry drivers must wait three months. In addition, anyone with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator will automatically lose their commercial licence permanently.

Neurological and mental health conditions are another focus of the new framework. Transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is used to treat certain mental health conditions, now has specific standards outlining how seizures related to treatment should be classified.

Functional neurological disorders have been incorporated into chronic neurological classifications, with drivers required to inform the DVLA if their condition affects vehicle control.

Meanwhile, dissociative seizures have stricter rules, requiring car drivers to be event-free for at least three months before applying for licence reinstatement. Professional drivers must wait six months and undergo a specialist review.

Drivers of buses and lorries must demonstrate a full 12 months of stability if they have a history of psychotic disorders.

By contrast, standard licence holders need only three months. In cases of substance misuse, recovery periods have been extended, with professional drivers required to show three years of abstinence compared with one year for private motorists.

The DVLA has also set tougher requirements for ongoing monitoring. Insulin-treated Group 2 drivers must undergo annual medical reviews and carry out blood glucose checks twice a day, even when not driving.

Officials have argued that these tougher standards for professional drivers are necessary, given the scale of responsibility involved in operating Heavy Goods Vehicles and passenger buses.